In a move that will be surprising to many people, not because it's shocking but because no one thought it still existed, Microsoft will be shuttering its MSN TV service as of September 30th, 2013. The service originated as WebTV back in 1996 later to be named MSN TV.

As Microsoft focuses all its attention on the Xbox as its go-to home entertainment system, the set-top boxed service is going the way of the dinosaur. In an FAQ explaining the closure, Microsoft stated;

WebTV (later called MSN TV) started in 1996 with the goal to bring new people "online" and to give those already online an easy, hassle-free means of accessing the internet from the comfort of their homes. Later, MSN TV 2 was released with vastly greater power and features. Since then, the web has continued to evolve at a breathtaking pace, and there are many new ways to access the internet. Accordingly, we have made the difficult decision to end the MSN TV service on September 30th, 2013. We are working with our customers to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible.

Users will be able to continue accessing their e-mail through Microsoft's Outlook.com service and will be able to transfer photos and other information to SkyDrive. Customers are free to keep the boxes for sentimental reasons or to use as doorstops or paperweights.